Mavs’ Kyrie Irving Speaks After Win vs. Blazers: Jan. 4, 2024

Mavs’ Kyrie Irving Speaks After Win vs. Blazers: Jan. 4, 2024

29 Points 29 what were you seeing out there as as the I think uh it started on the on the tip out or or started at the tip of the game and setting the tone setting our mentality and how we wanted to play for

The rest of the game I F like when we played against the Jazz and including myself I didn’t get a get off to a good start so just wanted to uh take it upon myself to Galvanize the group and stay aggressive in those first few possessions and really good a good feel

Of where my body is and where my mind is and just live with the results first quter uh just being in the right spots following our game plan yeah I know J kid was happy about that you know so hopefully we can continue and uh find that consistency in that Rhythm where he

Doesn’t have to ask us uh to do more than what we expect of ourselves every single night which is to lay it all out there uh continue to support one another and focusing on the game plan plan and study your homework so what were yours on

Theall Easy Flow Easy Flow easy to play with um and we’re getting up and down like that we’re getting stops I mean 21 turnovers doesn’t happen every single night but when you get you force 21 turnovers you got to uh few chances few more opportunities to get to the rim get

Some open threes and transition and make the game easy so we did that tonight a couple nights ago you guys points off Cuts you know obviously when you you are trying to create turnovers you that’s the other end of it how do you find the uh just taking healthy risk and

Trusting your skill SK uh skill set uh I feel like I’m capable of getting at least one to two steals a game and that’s really just body positioning and staying aggressive and being into my man and um making him do things that he doesn’t feel comfortable doing uh so

Just healthy risk and I know J kid trust me I know our assistance trust me uh to go out there be in the right position and take some some chances on getting Steals and getting some opportunities for us to get in the Fast Break um speaking ofy how have you been getting into

Youry only being yeah n 24 days 24 days man it’s it’s that’s a long amount of time in the NBA season uh to miss games especially uh when I felt like I was in a great Rhythm before uh that happened um I played one time one pickup game and then

Two days later I was in the NBA game again and uh you know it’s such a quick process to get back to or to return to play but uh you know I just had to trust the hard work that I put in the summertime and work I put in dayto day

And um allow the results to speak for themselves um tonight was one of those games where I felt like I had to inject myself into the Rhythm uh kind of force my myself to get up and down get a good sweat going uh and be able to exemplify

The pace that we should be playing at um and I felt like I did that you had a lot going before h a a few times it’s a real two guard of me you know that’s what I call it when when those things happen like that I call it the selfish two

Guard assist where you want to make the right play then the ball just finds the rim so it’s good but I wanted him to catch it though seriously he looked at me and like come on Kai I was like I got to make better man and they love making

Fun of my LOB Throne right now too so it’s good conversation in the locker room yeah no we we feel for him we feel for Grant um but especially our young fellow uh he’s been dealing um kind of with the the reality of the NBA season

Anything can happen you can go down with an injury any game and um it’s tough on anyone mentally I know it’s tough on him because he knows how important he is for our team our rebounding uh holding down the paint being able to set great

Screens um but right now we just got to have next man up if he doesn’t play next game so just unfortunate circumstances but we know what comes with the NBA season he’s going to be back I was happy for him we have the same amount yeah no but he

He he reminded me tonight that I’m one for two on dunks and he’s 100% so that’s that’s a very Luca thing it’s a very Luca thing he’s like no no no no no you missed one I made I won so I’m like yeah we’re not the same right now yeah yeah I

Was happy for him man uh I saw one play before where he kind of gathered it up tried to serve serve the baby a little bit and go dunk it but he didn’t do it I was talking to some of his guys on the sideline like man he’s got to get one so

I was happy for him tonight injury it was something that you said it was kind of scary you didn’t know how severe it was and then Utah a little bit of a slow start tonight really dominant from the start could you talk a little bit about how you felt

Just jump the game yeah no I felt great uh my foot was feeling great um you know again I couldn’t even get two socks on and put in my shoes for about two and a half weeks and it was just achy walking around carrying my kids and you just

Realize how much you’re on your feet dayto day and uh there isn’t really a lot of ample time to rest and recover uh so I tried to found my balance and I think that’s what took me so long to come back to playing it’s just I was

Pushing it and then uh going in the weight room doing things to put my body in a better position but um I had you know one or two setbacks where um just uh it was one time I even hit my heel when I was doing a lift bar in the

Weight room and it’s just that achiness comes back but tonight was one of those nights where I wasn’t thinking about it and mentally I felt great from the start and um you saw the results so I want to continue to build on that consistency find my rhythm continue to be aggressive

And do the right things for our team to win yeah I that’s an interesting question because I was just talking to my dad about this like a week back just what’s the motivation um for me it’s uh to win at the highest level that’s always been uh

The goal setting mentality that I’ve had um every team I’ve played on I’ve strived to be the best player I can be um while also helping encourage the younger players that are around me helping exemplify some leadership and um you know also accepting that failure is

Going to be part of this business um and I can’t worry about the opinions can’t worry about uh you know weeks gone by where things may not go well it’s just about staying the course staying on the path and being human um you know this basketball game is uh you know incredibly

Entertaining uh but yet there’s so many nuances and details that go go on behind the scenes to even be ready to play so my motivations continue to leave off the court healthy encourage the young guys and went at the highest level and we know what the highest level is I don’t

Have to say I don’t want to jinx our team but you know what we’re going after so um for me that’s that’s what gets me up every day and that passion that I’ve had since I was playing in my backyard uh by myself no one else was around

Counting down 5 4 3 2 1 and those are the moments I I remember when I step out on the court every single time is you know that space where I got to have an emotional Outlet uh understand how important this game is and how much

Impact I can have off the court and have fun with it I think end of the day you guys appreciate you

Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving speaks to reporters after the 126-97 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 3, 2024.

Video Credit: Dallas Mavericks

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